While its throwback looks were derided by James May on “Top Gear,” today’s Nice Price or No Dice Jaguar S-Type’s supercharged engine more than makes up for any imagined styling issues. Let’s see how we like the looks of its price tag.
Amazon, the retailing juggernaut that sells everything from AAA batteries to the ZZZQuil sleep aid, has its own line of what are deemed “essential” products across a broad spectrum of categories. The company brands these products as Amazon Basics. You can furnish your entire life with these cheap and yet cheerful products, from a toaster for making morning toast to the PJs worn at night while Amazon’s Alexa records your snoring patterns.
That’s all well and good for those with either limited funds or imagination, but what if the cut of your jib demands something a bit… shall we say, extra? That’s especially pertinent when it comes to buying a used car to run around town or drive to work in. The 2001 Lexus RX 300 we considered on Monday had that extra something, a bit of secret sauce. Its $4,600 asking price, however, placed it in a similar category to more basic fare. Many of you liked that mix, earning the RX 300 a massive 88% ‘Nice Price’ win.
A legendary name, old-school styling
In case you haven’t noticed, Jaguar, Britain’s legendary automobile marque that has given us the vaunted XKE and decades of XJ saloons that seemingly declined in relevance with every ensuing generation, doesn’t sell cars at the moment. The company has teased a new product, the Type 01, which is said to be an all-electric super sedan but, based on camouflaged prototypes, might sadly look like a Temu Transformer.
For fans of the brand who lack the funds for a six-figure (guessing here) purchase, or with aesthetic sensibilities that are easily offended by designs intended to “disrupt the narrative,” there are plenty of used Jags on the market. Some of those, like today’s 2005 S-Type R, present a compelling argument for even those not enamored with the marque.
Jaguar introduced the modern S-Type in 1999 during Ford’s ownership of the marque. The mid-sized sedan was a clean-sheet design, but shared much of its platform with Ford’s two-seat Thunderbird revival and the Lincoln LS. Famously, James May excoriated the car’s styling in his Top Gear review, claiming it to be “the summation of all things wrong with Jaguar.” May contended that the S-Type’s style was what Americans thought British cars should look like, thus shackling the model to a pastiched past. The thing is, that was a glorious past. The S-Type for the new millennium lifts its name from Jag’s sports saloons of the Sixties, cars that were favored for their performance by both car enthusiasts and crooks alike.
A mid-sized cat to run with the big dogs
This S-Type R lives up to that name by featuring a hand-built supercharged edition of the 4.2-liter AJ-V8 under the hood, making 390 horsepower and 399 pound-feet of torque. Behind that is a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic with Jaguar’s eclectic (okay, let’s just call it weird) J-gate shifter. That drives a limited-slip rear end. Upgraded suspension and brakes round out the R’s improvements, and those are announced by a handsome (sorry, James) wire mesh grille, subtle as Earl Grey tea rear spoiler, and model-unique five-spoke alloy wheels. That was all called for so the car could run with the likes of BMW’s standard-setting M5 and the powerhouse AMG E55 from the house of Benz.
According to the seller, this R has been properly maintained by a Jaguar dealership, and comes with the receipts to show it. Recent work, per the ad, included an oil pan gasket replacement and a new battery. The car has a modest 108,900 miles on the ol’ ticker, and, according to the seller, is completely rust-free and performs without issue, right down to the A/C.
A proper English drawing room
On the aesthetics front, this Jag still expresses some serious main character energy. The seller says the car has had “Very few owners,” but fails to give us an actual count. They do claim that the car has “clearly been well cared for its entire life, calling it a “beautifully kept example.”
Part of that care included a color correction on the paint and the refinish of the alloys in the factory color. Those are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires, although the date code on those remains elusive.
In many people’s minds, a proper Jaguar interior should feature copious amounts of leather and polished wood. This S-Type meets those criteria while still offering modern amenities like power accessories, automatic climate control, and even a nav screen in the dash that is surprisingly large for the car’s age.
It all looks to be clean and tidy, with no obvious flaws in the tan leather or any egregiously sloppy panel fits. A downside to using real wood in any car is that it tends to age no matter how nice it originally was. That’s the case with this car, as the burlwood on the dash is suffering from crazing in its lacquered finish, the only notable detraction in the cabin. The car will come with a clean title and a stack of service records, both of which we like.
Here, kitty, kitty
It’s always important to consider why a seller is putting their vehicle up for grabs. In the case of this Jag, it’s claimed that the recent completion of a BMW E46 M3 Touring build has rendered the car redundant in the seller’s limited garage space. That’s fair enough, and, to be honest, I’m totally jonesing to see this hot Bimmer wagon.
Before that, though, we have to discuss this Jag’s $7,990 asking price. That undercuts the competition from BMW and Mercedes by a significant margin, but is it enough to influence your verdict on this car’s value as it’s been presented in the ad?
What do you say? Does that $7,990 asking make this seemingly well-cared-for S-Type a bargain? Or for that much, are you still unwilling to let the cat out of the bag?
You decide!
North New Jersey, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Hat tip to GoJoeGo for the hookup!
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